Life-boat outrigger.



F. KRATKY.

LIFE BOAT OUTRIGGER. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 20.1914.

1, 127,901 Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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pivrarnp er FRANK KRATKY; on NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-BOAT on'rmsonni To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK KRATKY, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Life-Boat Outriggers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in life boat Outriggers.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an outrigger float mechanism for boats, such as row boats and life boats, the same being foldable against the gunwale portions of the boat when not in use.

A; further object is to provide upon each gunwale of the boat a pair of separating pivoted arms having .a slidable float positioned therebetween adapted upon a ratcheting outward movement thereof to retain the outrigger in its operative position, the float being automatically withdrawn to the side of the boat upon a folding of the arms to the inoperative position of the outrigger.

A still further object is to provide a slidable float having a ratchet connection with the side arms of an outrigger, the ratchet mechanism having a releasing device for allowing an inward movement of the float while the latter is capable of oscillating when. in its operative position upon .the water. 7

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claims. 1

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views :Figure 1 is a top plan view of a boat provided with the present device, one of the outriggers being shown operatively positioned and the other inoperatively folded. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view Specification of Letters Patent.

pointed out in the appended Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Application filed July 20, 1914." Serial No. 851,986.

of the connecting portions ofone of the outriggers shown upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a sectional view upon line IVIV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the outrigger arms detached. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of one of the floats detached and partially broken away and with a portion of one'of the outrigger arms engaged thereby. Fig. 7 is a front elevation thereof,and Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged detail views' of the ratchet releasing means.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the boat 10 is herein illustrated as provided with the oppositely positioned Outriggers mounted adjacent the gunwales 11 of the boat by means of opposite brackets 12 which are seated over. said gunwales and have depending plates 13 flatly engaging the outer surface of the hull and also having inwardly projecting arms 14 which are united together by means of a shiftable set collar 15. Each of the brackets 12 is provided on its outer side and. adjacent its opposite ends with a hinging pintle 16 upon each of which pintles there is pivoted an arm 17 of the form illustratedin Fig. 5. The arms 17 are each provided at their outer ends with a float 18 while at their inner ends an angular heel 19 is positioned, through perforations 20 of which the mounting pintles 16 extend. The extensions of the arm heels 19 project inwardly as illustrated in Fig. 3 when the arms are positioned outwardly extended in perpendicular relations with respect to the gunwale and by this arrangement it will be noted that when so positioned the heels prevent the arms from approaching each other nearer than their operative parallel planes.

A float 21 is adapted to be positioned between each pair of outrigger arms and is connected to a central eve 22 upon the plate j 13 by means of two chains 23 secured to the said eye and which after passing through similar eyes 241L011 the lower sides of the arms 17 are attached to opposite eyes 25 upon the float. Y

Each of the floats 21 is provided with a transverse passage 26 for accommodating a pair of which arms the float 21 is slidably mounted by means of spaced lugs 31 through which the arms extend and which lugs are positioned out of alinement with each other so as to allow an oscillating movement of the float. The bars 27 are'pro vided with pins 32 upon their inner ends adapted for reception within opposite eccentrically arranged slots 33 of an operating disk 34 which is adapted to be turned by means of a shaft 35. The said shaft 35 is provided von its outer end with a head 36 having a kerf 37 and by means of which the shaft 35 may be partially revolved for withdrawing the bars 27 from their engagement with the teeth 29. The shaft head36 is positioned in a socket 38 in the inner edge of the float 21. An expansion spring 40 is positioned between the inner ends of the arms 27 for normally projecting the same.

By this arrangement it will be evident by viewing Fig. 1 of the drawings that when the float 21 is operatively positioned adjacent the outer "end of the outrigger arms 17, the said float may slightly oscillate when resting. upon the water as seen in Fig. 2, while by releasing the arms 27 by means of turning the shaft head 36, said arms are released and. capable of being separated to assume the folded position also illustrated in Fig. 1 and during which outward swinging movement of the arms, the chains 23 act to pull the float 21 inwardly to assume a suspended vertical position adjacent the plate 13 when the carrying arms flatly engage the side of the boat adjacent the gun- Wale thereof and are retained in such position by being seated within suitable hooks 39 adjacent the opposite ends of the hull.

The, outrigger arms 17 are preferably formed of resilient material to allow of their being slightly bent when unfolded against the side of the hull but readily assuming their operative positions when hinged outwardly. ,With the outrigger in its inoperative position, it is only necessary to release the arms from the hooks 39 and to move the same slightly inwardly toward each other and to position the arms between the lugs 31 of the float and then to push the float outwardly upon said arms whereby the ratcheting engagement between the bars 27 and the rack teeth 29 firmly locks the arms oppositely positioned contacting the said float and by means of the chains 23. It will thus be seen tha'tthe floats 21 with the terminal floats 18 of the arms constitute a manner of imparting equilibrium to the boat while either or both of the outriggers maybe employed.

While the forms of the invention herein shown and described are what are believed to be preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes be made in the form, propor-.

tion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is 1. An outrigger comprising a bracket adapted for attachment to the gunwale of a said arms, a float mounted for oscillation between said arms, ratcheting bars carried by said float and normally contacting said teeth, when positioned therebetween, eyes upon said arms, chains secured between said float and bracket and running through said eyes and a releasing means for said bars.

3. An outrigger comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to the gunwale of a boat, a depending plate upon said bracket, outrigger arms having angular heels hinged to the oppositeends of said bracket and adapted for movement in parallelism with each other and away from each other, a float, non-alining lugs upon the opposite edges of said float and positioned upon said arms with said arms between the said lugs,

chains engaging said arms and connected between said float and plate whereby inward movement is imparted to said float upon the separation of said arms.

1. An outrigger comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to the gunwale of a boat, a depending plate upon said bracket, outrigger arms having angular heels hinged to the opposite ends of said bracket and adapted for movement in parallelism with each other and away'from each other, a float positioned for oscillating between said arms, chains engaging said arms and connected between said plate and float, ratcheting means between said float and arms and releasing mechanism for said ratcheting means. I

.5. An outrigger comprising a mounting bracket, arms hinged thereto, an oscillating float slida'bly mounted upon said arms. connecting means between said bracket and float.

whereby said float moves inwardly when said arms assume their inoperative positions.

6. An outrigger comprising a mounting jacent the ends of said arms in the operative bracket, arms hinged thereto, an oscillating position. 10 float slidably mounted upon said arms, con- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature nesting means between said bracket and in presence of two witnesses. float whereby said float moves inwardly FRANK KRATKY. when said arms assume their inoperative positions, ratcheting means between said float and arms adapted for locking said float ad- VVitnesses 2 SIMON STEIN, GRACE GossiN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

